Last year, when looking at Kris Russell in off-season targets I was not impressed. I liked his work in Calgary, but I thought he crashed and burned in Dallas and was a big reason why the Stars lost in round two to St. Louis last spring. The Oilers signed the rearguard in September after a disappointing trip to free agency and the result was quite an interesting year.
Russell was the focal point of nearly every debate between Oiler fans, and somehow he made people (at least temporarily) put the Hall-for-Larsson trade aside to argue about something else. Russell wasn’t an all-star, but he had a solid season for the Oilers and was decent for the team in the playoffs.
The question is, after a one year trial, will Russell be back in Edmonton in the fall?
Why Is He Out There?:
After performing decently well on his off-side with Andrej Sekera, Russell seems to be hitting the market with a little more value than last year following a tough playoff in Dallas. He filled a top-four role and caught people’s eyes with his shot blocking, strong own zone play and physical ability.
Russell’s contract demands have his return in doubt, however. It seems like he wants a multi year deal (three or more years) and a raise on the $3.1 million salary he took home during the 2016-17 campaign. The Oilers clearly like this player, but his contract demands have him on the road to free agency for the second summer in a row.
What Does He Do Well?:
Kris Russell is a classic shut-down defender. He doesn’t play a sexy game, but for the most part he gets it done defensively. He’s arguably the best shot blocker in the NHL, is strong in his own end and can contribute in a depth role on the penalty kill.
He’s not huge, but as we saw this season he doesn’t shy away from the physical stuff and he can certainly play a hard game if he needs to. His defensive awareness is actually quite high and I thought he was one of Edmonton’s better defenders when it came to work inside his own zone.
There are issues with this player, including giving up the blueline too easily, puck movement and offensive ability. All in all, he’s an NHL defender and can help a team as a shut-down option.
Where Will He Play/Where Should He Play:
Last season, the left-shot Russell played on the right side on Edmonton’s second pairing with veteran Andrej Sekera. This season, Sekera is expected to be out until at least November and that makes things interesting. It opens up the possibility of Russell starting the season on the left side should he return.
Could Russell be pairing up with Matt Benning on the club’s second or third pairing in early October? It’s certainly possible if the Oilers only re-sign Russell and otherwise hold the fort defensively this summer.
Russell, in an ideal situation, should be the left-shot option on the third defensive pair. He’s playing too high in the batting order for these Oilers in my mind.
What Will He Cost?:
This question is interesting, because last year it seemed like a certainty that Russell would be making multiple millions on a long-term contract. His one year deal at $3.1 million certainly must have been a disappointment, but this summer likely brings a richer deal.
I’d offer Russell at the MAX three years by $3.5 million per. I actually think that is a rather high number in both terms of years and dollars, but I think Russell could command more on the open market. Ideal contract for the Oilers? Two years at $3.2 million per. Russell would never go for that.
Closing Argument:
I have no problem with Kris Russell, in fact I actually liked his game for the large part this past season. That said, it became apparent to me in the playoffs that Edmonton needs to upgrade the defensive unit if the hope is to compete for the Stanley Cup next spring.
Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, Matt Benning and Darnell Nurse should all be improved next year, while Andrej Sekera will be in the lineup come playoff time. Would it be in Edmonton’s best interest to bring Kris Russell back and run with the same six defenders next April? Some would say yes, but I would not.
Russell is a fine player, but he is likely to be too expensive and get too many years on a contract this off-season. I’d allow Russell to go to market and look to acquire a second pairing right-shot defender like Travis Hamonic, Justin Faulk or Tyson Barrie.
All that said, I believe that Russell would like to be back and that the Oilers would like him back. That usually means that the player will in fact be back.
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